“God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecc 12:14 NKJV One of the chief attributes of God is His omniscience. It’s a word comprised of two parts. The first part, omni, means “all,” and the second part, science, relates to knowledge. That means He is an omniscient God who knows everything you say, everything you think, and everything you do. The story is told of a wealthy grandfather who got fitted for a hearing aid. When he went for a routine checkup his doctor commented, “Your family must be happy to know […]

“Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”Ps 139:14 NLT We search for significance in different ways. We think that if we can connect with someone special, we’ll become someone special. Or we try to outlive life. When the billionaire realizes he will run out of years before he runs out of money, he establishes a foundation. We have kids for the same reason. One day, when we die, we hope our descendants will remember “good ol’ Dad” or “sweet ol’ Mom” and we’ll extend our lives via theirs. The famous atheist Bertrand Russell said, “I believe that when I die […]

“You are Mine.” Isa 43:1 NKJV Do you remember the hit song by Dean Martin, “You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You”? Such lyrics bottom-line our deepest concern. We want our lives to matter, to mean something. Our deepest fear is of coming and going—and nobody knowing! We strive with our lack of education, our spot on the financial totem pole, and our looks. That’s why it bothers us when a friend forgets to call, or a teacher forgets our name, or a colleague takes credit for something we have done. We crave attention, drop the names of important people in […]

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word.” 1Pe 2:2 NKJV How does a newborn baby desire milk? With an intensity you can’t imagine unless you’ve heard the midnight cry! The fact that you’ve worked hard all day and are tired, or that you fed the baby just an hour earlier, doesn’t matter. An infant’s agenda is about as focused and uncluttered as you can get. He or she wants to eat—right now! When was the last time yourspiritual stomach growled so much at midnight that you just had to get up and feed your soul on God’s […]

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” Col 3:2 NIV Today we’re big on the concept of instant gratification and acquiring more stuff. But “earthly things” lose their appeal once the bill arrives and the interest on your credit cards starts piling up. When that happens, blessings can turn into curses and rob you of the joy of living. One pastor says: “Materialism doesn’t satisfy because it’s tyrannical, and human beings were born to be free…We find we don’t own the house—the house owns us. We’re married to a mortgage. We become slaves to gadgets and garments. […]

“He will empower you with inner strength.” Eph 3:16 NLT For fifteen years Dr. Robert Schuller’s secretary Lois battled cancer, and for every one of them she served God faithfully. Schuller writes: “I don’t think I ever met anyone more courageous. Some days she was so ill…getting out of bed took all the strength she had! She’d deliberately fall out of bed, walk on her hands and knees to the bathroom, reach for the sink and pull herself up. She’d force herself to get dressed, stumble into the kitchen, drink some water, eat a dry piece of toast, search for […]

“Be very careful, then, how you live.” Eph 5:15 NIV Three more questions you should ask yourself are: (1) Am I making the most of today? “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (vv. 15-16 NIV). Only by focusing on what’s required of you today can you prepare for tomorrow. If you don’t do the right things today, tomorrow will be spent fixing today’s mistakes. You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. Only by asking yourself, “Am I making the most of today?” will […]

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Mk 10:43 NIV Two more questions you should constantly ask yourself are: (1) Am I willing to serve others?You say you want to be a leader? Why? Until you answer that question with the right motives, God won’t promote you. Sometimes we just want to be in control. Other times we don’t want to pay the price for success. We just want the perks that come with it: a corner office, a higher salary, a respected title, and the admiration of others. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great […]